


Justice is a funny thing

by InsaneJul



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternative Universe - FBI, Cop AU, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Falling In Love, Misunderstandings, Multi, Sibling Bonding, Swearing, Undercover Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2018-11-30 17:47:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 14,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11468553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneJul/pseuds/InsaneJul
Summary: Detective Hanzo Shimada is positive that petty offender Jesse McCree has more up his sleeve. Turns out he's exactly right...





	1. Cease and Desist

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Karkiitiie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karkiitiie/gifts).



> Hooray another Overwatch AU! My friend Sam and I were talking about this idea a lot and I realized I had to write it. Huge thanks to Sam (Karkiitiie) for being my beta and editor <3

             Jesse McCree was gone, once again. Hanzo had expected, this time, just as every other time, that he would still be there in the morning. But he wasn’t. “How does he continuously get money for bail,” he lamented to his partner, “if he has to shoplift and steal constantly?”

            “I wouldn’t know,” Amélie replied, looking over her computer screen at him. “Perhaps he is just a kleptomaniac. He likes to steal, but does not need to.”

            “That’s ridiculous,” Hanzo huffed. “He’s always wearing dirty, beat-up clothes and speaks with the kind of tone that one associates with poverty.”

            “And how would you know what that sounds like?”

            “You know as well as I do that I have been there before,” Hanzo ended the conversation abruptly, as was his wont and Amélie’s preference. He stared angrily at his computer’s desktop, a photo of the mountains in Hanamura. That “minor criminal” was no such thing, and he was sure of it. He had gotten into chases with the man, watched him fight off officers, and Jesse McCree’s abilities were far beyond anyone who was a petty thief. He fought like he was trained, like he was a soldier, and Hanzo was determined to prove that there was more to his misdemeanors.

            Jack leaned over the back of Hanzo’s chair, a habit he was way too comfortable in, and his military training made it so he frightened the detective every time.

            “Have you called Reinhardt?”

            “About the…the drug bust last week?”

            “Yeah. He’s kinda antsy about it since Ana has been up his ass about the trial.”

            Amélie snorted from her desk. “She is _always_ up his ass about something, mon dieu.”

            “Or perhaps _he_ is up _her_ ass,” Genji quipped from the other side of the room.

            “You weren’t part of this conversation _or_ this arrest,” Jack shot back. “Also, you shouldn’t talk about superiors like that.”

            “Well, Reinhardt _wishes_ he was up her ass.”

            “Genji, shut up,” Hanzo sighed. “I’ll call him right now.”

            Jack stood fully and smiled. “Good. And when you’re done, come into my office. I need a word with you.”

            Hanzo stared at him for a moment, then said, “all right,” and picked up the phone.

            While he waited to be put through at the commissioner’s office, Genji snuck up on Hanzo and hummed in his hear. “You’re in trouble, you’re in trouble~…”

            “We are not children anymore, Genji. Would you kindly cut the crap and—oh. Hello, sir.”

            “Ouch, busted,” Genji whispered and Amélie giggled again.

            Hanzo shot him a dirty look while he gave Reinhardt all the details necessary and agreed to send over a prisoner transfer form. The normally jovial police commissioner seemed a bit on edge, which made Hanzo uneasy. It took a lot to ruffle the big man’s feathers. Something must have happened.

            The instant his phone clicked back into place Jack opened his office door, as if he was waiting on cue. “Get in here, Shimada.” Genji sauntered forward. “NOT YOU.”

            “What did you need, sir…?” Hanzo trailed off as he walked into the office, discovering a pair of women that were not normally in there. They were both wearing professional suits, sitting straight-backed and meeting his eyes. One had a tattoo on her right eye that looked eerily familiar, and the other was tapping the blue-painted nails of one hand on Captain Morrison’s desk (the other was a clean white prosthetic, and it sat still in her lap). Neither looked happy to see him.

            “Hello, detective Shimada,” the one with the tattoo said, standing up to meet his height. “I am special agent Amari. This is agent Vaswani.” Both women flashed a badge at him. “We’re from the FBI. I assume you know what this is about?”

            “I…wait, Amari as in Ana Amari?”

            “Yes,” the woman tapped her foot impatiently. “That’s my mother.” So _that_ was how he recognized the tattoo. Her mother had a similar one.

            “Well…did you want to discuss the drugs we confiscated last week?”

            “No, that was far below our pay grade,” Vaswani snapped, but shut her mouth when Amari gave her a look.

            “It’s about your latest arrest. Last night, specifically.”

            Hanzo’s eyebrows shot up. “Jesse McCree?”

            “The very same,” Amari said, pulling out a picture of the cowboy and laying it on Jack’s desk. He observed it with recognition and returned his attention to the agents.

            “I think you might have made a mistake,” he interrupted. “That guy has only been arrested for things like petty theft.”

            Vaswani turned her eyes on the captain, eyes flashing. “We were not addressing you.”

            “What about him?” Hanzo asked, trying to pull the conversation back.

            Amari glanced down at the photo, then back up at him. “We understand that you have taken an interest in this criminal. Is that correct?”

            Hanzo nodded. It was pointless to deny it; he had made no secret of it around the precinct. “I believe he is up to more than vandalism and theft.”

            Vaswani stood up. “We need you to cease this train of thought.”

            “Satya,” Amari stopped her, then turned back to the detective. “Look, he is part of a federal investigation. I can’t say more than that, but suffice it to say that we would prefer you do not derail our investigation or disgruntle our person of interest. Mr. McCree. Do you understand?”

            “You…” Hanzo stood shocked. “You want me to stop arresting him altogether?”

            “We would like you to not put him in difficult situations as we need him to act normally for the investigation.”

            Jack broke in. “I don’t think I appreciate you telling my detectives how to do their jobs.”

            “We outrank you—“ Vaswani began.

            “SATYA.” Amari smiled at the captain. “Our orders come from Reyes himself. If you’d like to have a chat with him about it…”

            The police captain shook his head. “He will be hearing from me about this.”

            “As I assumed.”

            Hanzo surveyed the two women. Amari seemed perfectly at ease with all this, but Vaswani looked highly uncomfortable. He was about to mention it when she wordlessly pushed past him out of the room. Amari scowled at her retreating back. “I’ll be in touch. Treat this person of interest with caution, is all we’re asking.” She followed her colleague out of the room, a lesson for her already hanging off her lips.

            Jack looked at Hanzo, neither of them quite knowing what to say. They stood in silence for a minute, then the captain said, “Dismissed, detective. I have to…have to call that son of a bitch to see what’s going on.”

            “He almost definitely will tell you nothing,” Hanzo assured him, and left the room. Amélie was staring at him as he sat down.

            “Were those federal agents?”

            “You waste no time,” Hanzo smiled wearily. “Yes.”

            “What the hell did they want with you?”

            “They want me to leave the cowboy alone.”

            Amélie’s eyes widened. “What could they want with him?”

            “They said he was part of a federal investigation,” Hanzo clenched his fist. “Which means I was right about him all along.”


	2. Chain of Command

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captain Morrison gives FBI Director Reyes a call and a piece of his mind.

            “Reyes here.”

            “ _Finally._ Do you know how many times I got put on hold trying to reach you? I’ve been trying for over an hour.”

            “Well,” Jack could practically _hear_ Gabriel smirk, “I have to keep you on your toes somehow.”

            “And where does pulling rank on my detectives and stopping up their investigative duties fall on that spectrum, exactly?”

            Gabriel sighed. “I’m sorry about that, Jack. It’s— “

            “Like hell you are. You love lording your federal power over me and my men, and I really don’t appreciate it.”

            “Jack, listen,” Gabriel’s tone was so serious that it shocked Jack out of his tirade early. “I’m not doing this for fun—at least, not this time. You _know_ it’s never my preference to take cases from you guys. But this time I really can’t avoid it. That guy your detective is going after is really important in this case, and we can’t afford losing the trail now. Once this is over, I _might_ be able to give him to you, to explain this whole thing, but for right now you have to trust me. Can you?”

            The police captain drummed his fingers on his desk and sighed. “Okay, Gabe. I trust you. But before you do this kind of thing again you _call_ , okay? I got completely blindsided by your two agents today and one of them was incredibly rude to me about it.”

            “Vaswani? She’s not so good with people, but she’s one of the best investigators and researchers I’ve ever met. That’s why we paired her up with Fareeha, she knows how to get the point across. You recognized her, right?”

            “Of course I did. She looks a hell of a lot like Ana, and that attitude must run in the family too.”

            Gabriel was quiet for a minute. “I haven’t talked to Ana recently. How’s she doing?”

            “Didn’t I make this call to yell at you?”

            “Well, yeah, but then I explained and I thought that was over.”

            Jack blew some air out through his nose. “Yeah, it’s over.”

            “So I figured, while we’re talking, we should, you know. Talk. We don’t get to so often.”

            “Ana’s fine. Stressed about an upcoming drug case, but it’s nothing she can’t handle. You know how she hates red tape.”

            “Don’t know why she became a lawyer, then.”

            They both chuckled.

            “How’s your niece?”

            “She’s still hacking away, you know. Spends her whole life in front of a screen. But when you convince her away from it she’s a hell of a fighter.”

            “And…are you gonna tell me anything else about Jesse?”

            There was a moment of silence.

            “Gabe, I was there. I remember when you caught him and recruited him to the military out of that gang. Are you really going to tell me that he just turned back to a life of crime? Are you expecting me to believe that? You wouldn’t have just let him go, and even if you had I couldn’t see him going back. I also don’t believe that you would turn him over to me, just like that.”

            “Jack, I’m asking you to let this go. I’ll explain everything eventually, but not right now. Right now, I need you to trust me, like I said. He’s important. I really appreciate you not telling your detective what you know.”

            “Is he helping you?”

            “I can’t tell you that.”

            Jack remained silent for a minute.

            “Haven’t seen you in a while, Gabe.”

            “I know, it’s been too long.”

            “Do you suppose you’d be free next weekend? I could buy brunch.”

            Gabriel laughed a little. “Yeah, that sounds…that sounds really good.”

            “I don’t like you keeping secrets from me, but I guess it’s just a given, where we are right now, huh.”

            “I don’t like it either. I’m trying not to as much as I can.”

            “And I appreciate it, but it’s hard to trust you sometimes.”

            “Wish it wasn’t like that.”

            “So do I.”

            Jack stretched out his fingers, thinking about holding Gabriel’s hand. It had been too long. He wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Gabriel was doing the same thing.

            “Anyway, how’s Sunday at eleven? I’ll meet you at the usual place.”

            “Sure. Perfect. I’ll be there.” Gabriel hung up and drummed his fingers on the table. It was impossible to be with him, like this. He didn’t want it to be this hard. He didn’t want to keep secrets from Jack, he didn’t want to send proxies to talk to him, he didn’t want to be separated by this lack of trust—this _inherent_ lack of trust, that he couldn’t even blame Jack for. It sucked. It objectively sucked. And even if they were both willing to admit the feelings between them—which they weren’t—they still couldn’t be together. Not like this.

            Jack was following a similar train of thought when a knock came on his door. “Come in.”

            Amélie poked her head in. “Are you staying here, capitan? It’s very late. Gerard is coming home this week and I’d prefer not to have to stay…”

            “No, of course. Go home, go see your husband, you never get to. I’ll be right behind you.”

            She nodded and shut the door behind her.

            Jack pulled out his phone and texted Gabriel. _I miss you._ He wouldn’t have the courage to say it out loud, but it needed to be said nonetheless. He doubted Gabe would respond, but he tried not to let it bother him. Jack drove home sullenly, part of him glad that he would get to see Gabriel but part of him knowing it wasn’t the same, and it couldn’t be again. Not for a while at least.

            Before going to bed, Jack placed his phone on the counter in his small kitchen. He shut his bedroom door just as the cell phone buzzed.

            _I miss you too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am trash for this kind of dynamic lol


	3. Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fareeha and Satya meet their colleague to go over a few things.

            Fareeha wasted no time in scolding Satya.

            “What were you thinking? We aren’t here to insult these people. We were supposed to be persuasive.”

            “The best way to convey information is to be direct, which I was.”

            “You were rude, Satya. There is a difference between direct and rude. I understand it is not always easy for you to see that line, which is why we have determined that I do the talking. Remember?”

            Satya nodded, metal fingers pressing into her flesh arm. “Yes. I only wished to expedite the process.”

            “And I appreciate that. But we do need to be subtler when we talk to these people—police are an authority, and it can be shitty of us to take their cases away. They like to do their jobs too. We aren’t here to steamroll them. We have to use our authority carefully.”

            “I understand.”

            Fareeha sighed. “I want you to know that I’m not angry with you.”

            “All right.”

            “I need you on my team. I fill in the gaps where you do not perform well, and you do the same for me.”

            “Yes, I know.”

            “Good.” Fareeha paused, glancing at her watch. “where were we supposed to meet him, again? The rendezvous is in fifteen minutes.”

            “The diner close to our offices. Watchpoint.”

            “Weird name, good pie.”

            “That is one assessment.”

            “Well, let’s get there. I’ll drive.”

            The ride took longer than Fareeha wanted to, and she cursed a bit while waiting at a stoplight, to which Satya folded her arms and informed her that no one could hear her.

            The tattooed woman entered the diner first, informing the girl behind that counter that she was meeting a man here. The girl pointed to the back corner.

            “Thank you,” Fareeha said, and walked on. Satya gave the girl a nod.

            Fareeha slid into the booth across from her appointment. Satya joined her.

            “Howdy, ladies,” Jesse McCree grinned at them both from beneath his hat. He was rolling a cigar between his fingers.

            “You know that smoking is prohibited in here.”

            “Sure I do. I ain’t smoking it, am I?”

            Fareeha sighed, exasperated with him already. “I can’t even believe this. Gabriel has known me since I was a little girl. I have always dreamed of being an agent. And he picked you up off the streets as a criminal—yet I’m tasked with playing your babysitter on this mission!”

            “Now that isn’t fair to yourself, or to Gabe, Fareeha. I’m working undercover because I have the experience. I know what it’s like in a gang. I’m the better actor of the two of us. This is just the best solution.”

            Satya ordered a cup of coffee while the two bickered.

            “We visited your detective friend today.”

            Fareeha shot Satya a look—she hadn’t wanted to tell him just yet. McCree grinned wider and leaned back on his hands. “Yeah? How’s he doing?”

            “I wish you’d stop antagonizing him, Jesse,” Fareeha said.

            “The first time I didn’t mean to! He caught me fair and square.”

            “That seems unlikely. You were born a criminal and raised a criminal, and you lived your entire adult life as a soldier,” Satya supplied. “We all believe that you planned to provoke him.”

            “Look, I saw he was a cop, and I saw he was cute. What was I supposed to do but get arrested?”

            Fareeha threw her hands in the air. “I don’t know, use a stupid pickup line? Ask for his number? Grab his ass? Something other than getting arrested, which means we have to bail you out! And the more times he catches you, the more he suspects you. We had to go in today and tell him to leave you alone because he would be intruding on a federal investigation.”

            “Well that just confirmed his suspicions, didn’t it?” Jesse snapped right back at her. “You think he’s gonna give up on me now?”

            “All the evidence points to no,” Satya said, inhaling steam from her coffee.

            “You know, you’re not helping my point,” Fareeha told her.

            “I am only trying to be useful.”

            Jesse took another bite of the pie in front of him. “Look, I can’t tell him anything. But I like the guy. So sue me.”

            “Why don’t you just leave him alone until you’re done with the case?”

            “What if he forgets me by then?”

            “Do you have to be such a hopeless romantic?”

            “Do you have to be such a stickler for the rules?”

            “Gabe doesn’t want to provide you all this bail money, Jesse.”

            “And he won’t have to. I’m just having a little fun, is all.”

            Fareeha huffed and turned to look out the window. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

            “Of course I do. Why’d Gabe hire me if I didn’t?”

            “Nepotism?”

            “We’re not related.”

            “You practically are.”

            “This argument is getting us nowhere,” Satya said, pushing her cup to the side. “I have finished my coffee and we have finished our report. Do you have anything to share with us, or shall we leave?”

            Jesse put his fork down. “Yeah, sorry. There’s a wedding coming up and the whole family will be there. It’s in a few months, obviously, but I can get the evidence I need by then.”

            “Then we will stand by on your call.” Satya stood. “I am ready to leave.”

            “See you later, Jesse.”

            “Later, chicas. Have a good day now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did my best to write Satya as canonically autistic. Please let me know if there are any issues.


	4. Friendly Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A pair of crossing guards pay a visit to the precinct.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I call this chapter "adorable robot interlude".  
> EDIT 2: After making some changes to this chapter, I have decided to officially make it finalized! Please enjoy this and the future chapters.

            Orisa tended to enter rooms boisterously, a stark contrast to her deaf friend. It would be hard to miss her, anyway: she was six feet tall, heavyset, and wearing a bright yellow crossing-guard vest, making her dark skin look even darker. She walked directly into the center of the room, singing, “I made fruit salad for our hard-working detectives!!”

            Amélie glanced upwards. “Why do you refuse to bring us things with sugar, like Bastion?”

            The quiet, skinny man accompanying Orisa smiled, reading his name in her lips, and held up a box of doughnuts. “Thank goodness!” _Thank you_ , Amélie signed to him. Orisa put her hands on her hips.

            “No one appreciates the hard work I do for the police,” she huffed, heading to the kitchen to put her fruit salad in the fridge. “Also, fruit _does_ have sugar in it!”

            Bastion shrugged with a small smirk as he walked over to Amélie and opened the box for her. She smiled at him and took a powdered sugar doughnut. “Thank you,” she said again, and he nodded. He offered one to Hanzo, who quickly signed, _no thank you, I want fruit._

            Bastion was a silly nickname, if you asked Hanzo, but no one knew his real name except for Orisa, and he was too scared to ask at this point. They had been stopping by for years—at which point the precinct learned a few simple phrases in sign language to properly communicate with him. It was extra work, but it was worth it. He sat down next to Hanzo and signed at him. _What’s wrong?_

            Hanzo looked at him and signed back, _work._ He didn’t know how to explain the whole thing in ASL, so he didn’t bother. He looked back at the computer but Bastion tapped his desk again. _Please tell me._

            The detective sighed and gave Bastion his full attention. "There's a criminal I don't like, but he keeps getting away from me."

 _I wish I could help._ Hanzo smiled appreciatively.

            "There's really nothing more to be done than what I'm already doing."

            Orisa bustled back into the precinct and flicked Hanzo on the back of the head. "Sorry to hear about it." Then, she brightened. “You’ll never guess,” She clapped a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “who we saw today walking to school.”

            “And who would that be?” Hanzo turned to face her completely, amused.

            “The district attorney! Her name is Ana, right? I guess she is showing up for a special talk about law enforcement.”

            “That’s surprising,” Amélie cut in. “She’s supposed to be preparing for a big case in a few days.”

            “Well, everyone needs a break! And she probably agreed to it long before she knew she was going to be working.”

            Bastion added, _I like her. She’s … …_

            “What is she?” Hanzo asked Bastion.

            “He said she’s a nice lady who works hard. But he said it a little more eloquently.” Orisa supplied from behind him. 

            Amélie leaned back in her chair. “I would agree with that.”

            Jack opened his office door. “What is all this chatter going—oh. Hi Orisa,” _hello_ , he finished his sentence.

           “We brought snacks!”

           “I think you mean, you brought something healthy and Bastion was kind enough to provide something disgusting and sugary,” Jack grinned as he walked past her toward the kitchen.

            “Can you get Hanzo to lighten up a bit, Jack? He’s so sullen-looking lately.”

            Jack shrugged. “He’s been chasing a criminal for a while that he’s sure is up to something serious…two weeks ago we got a visit from some FBI agents telling him to stay off the guy’s trail, so he’s obviously picked up the obsession.”

            “That is much more exciting than what you said!” Orisa exclaimed and turned to Bastion. _Did you get that?_

_Yes. That is …_

            “I hate that I have to keep asking for translations, Orisa, but…” Hanzo shot Bastion an apologetic look, who gave him a small smile, waving his hand dismissively. _I know Orisa can explain._

            “He says you’re living in an action movie.”

            Hanzo snorted. “I used to live in an action movie. Now I think I’ve moved over to sitcom.”

            “Well,” Orisa patted him on the back. “That’s probably a good transition.”

            Jack returned with a jelly doughnut in hand. “Thanks for the snacks, guys.”

            _Of course_ , said Bastion. He stood up and tugged on Orisa’s arm, jerking his head toward the door. 

            “Oh. We probably shouldn’t stay so long. We’re running aides for the kids at recess too.”

            “Tell the kids that Washington D.C.’s finest said hello,” Jack chuckled, and the two crossing guards nodded.

            Once they were gone, Amélie rolled her eyes at Hanzo. “Finest, my shapely ass.”

            “The children can look up to us, I don’t see any problem with that.”

            Amélie might have replied to him but his phone rang. “Detective Shimada,” he said, holding up a hand to his partner to silence her.

            His eyebrows shot up. “I’ll be right there.”

            He had his coat halfway on and was grabbing his keys as Amélie reminded him that he had to tell the captain he was leaving and where the hell was he going, anyway? Hanzo didn’t bother to respond but instead opened Jack’s door, called in that Jesse McCree had been seen near a bar owned by a well-known crime family and he had to get there right away.

            “Well,” Amélie said to his retreating back, “at least we know you’ve definitely taken the words of those important federal ladies to heart.”

            “Yes, thanks,” He shouted back to her.


	5. Having Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo and Jesse have another run-in. It doesn't go the way Hanzo wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aka "Jesse is bad at flirting and also everything else."

            Hanzo probably parked poorly, but that was the furthest thing from his mind as he scouted out the streets. Where was he?

            No sooner had he asked himself the question than a tall man wearing a cowboy hat and smoking a cigar entered the sidewalk from an alley. He was walking with a strange spring in his step, like he was in a good mood. Hanzo couldn’t pin anything on the man right now, but he wasn’t going to let him go. He quickly walked up to McCree and grabbed his arm.

            “Well, howdy, detective Shimada. Sure is a fine day for us law-abiding citizens, ain’t it?”

            “Cut the crap,” Hanzo snarled. “I know you were in that bar. One of our officers was scouting it out. What were you doing in there?”

            “It’s none of your business, you know, since you can’t pin any crimes on me…but if you must know, I was talking to a friend,” he leaned in closer, smiling with a bit of teeth. “ _just_ a friend.”

            “You know who owns— “

            “Of course I do, I just told you that I was talking to a friend in there. Look, if you wanted to flirt with me, you could just ask for my number.”

            Hanzo smacked himself on the forehead. “That is _not_ why I— “

            “Hand me your phone, why don’t you.”

            “I will do _no such thing_ — “

            But by then McCree had deftly slid his hand into the officer’s pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He quickly typed in a combination, then handed it back. “Why don’t you call me?”

            “I won’t need to,” Hanzo hissed. “I’ll see you soon, as soon as you’re back in jail.”

            “That might be a while longer than you think.”

            “We’ll see,” Hanzo refused to speak to him any longer and stalked back to his car. Jesse watched him go, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Hanzo could not stand that stupid man’s stupid eyes or his stupid grin and especially not his stupid hat. He buckled himself in and drove off immediately. Almost as soon as the car was out of sight, Jesse’s phone rang. He smiled to himself _that sure was quick,_ but when he glanced at the screen he realized that the caller was not who he was hoping for.

            “Hello.”

            “Jesse, what the fuck. What the _fuck._ ”

            “Nice to hear from you too, Fareeha.”

            “You have to stop antagonizing him! Seriously! I’ve seen his file, he’s more than capable of hunting you down if he needs to, and kicking your sorry southern ass.”

            “Whoa, hey, I didn’t do anything this time! _He_ tracked _me_ down. What was I supposed to do, ignore him?”

            “You could have _not_ flirted with him.”

            “Well now you’re just talking crazy.”

            Fareeha was silent for a moment, and Jesse didn’t have to work hard at all to imagine her grinding her teeth and rolling her bottom lip between them, trying not to lose her temper.

            “What did you say to him?”

            “Aw, nothing. I gave him my number.”

            “You did _what?!”_

            “I thought he could call me.”

            “No, no, Jesse, you fucking idiot. He’s a _cop_. Now that he has your phone number, he could track you literally anywhere you go! They’re not so far behind us that they can’t locate cell towers! You _fucking_ idiot.”

            “Shit, you’re right. I forgot all about that. Let’s just hope I took him off-guard enough to make him forget he can do that.”

            “He’s not into you, you moron. That’s the first thing he’s going to do. And I can’t confiscate his cell phone to remove it, I can only affect his work! Oh my god, Jesse, you’re going to wreck this entire operation over a hot cop.”

            “Ha! So you admit he’s attractive!”

            “That is _NOT THE POINT_ , Jesse!”

            “Wait, are you watching me right now? Where are you?”

            “Two floors up, gray building with a nail salon sign. Look, if you want to make sure we take these people in, you have to avoid that detective. He’s just going to distract you.”

            Jesse sighed. “Fine. I’ll stop the shoplifting. But if he comes to me, there’s nothing I can do. You understand that, right?”

            “I do, but you better remember not to give him any more personal information. God, when he arrested you for the first time you even used your real name!”

            “And I haven’t with any of my marks, so can you just calm down? I know what I’m doing!” before she could respond, McCree hung up, frustrated that she was insisting on treating him like a kid. He _did_ know what he was doing, and he _wasn’t_ getting dangerously distracted by a handsome detective. He was just having a little fun, was all. Maybe after this was all over, he could ask him out. Get a drink, explain everything. It sure would be better than the dance they were doing around each other right now.

            He didn’t get much farther down the street when his phone rang again. He picked it up angrily, shouted, “Look, I told you I know what I’m doing. Stop treating me like a child!”

            There was silence on the other end. Then a voice that was definitely not Fareeha said, “I think you have me confused with someone else.”

            “Hanzo!” Jesse stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk. “Oh my god, you actually called me.”

            “I have decided I want to make a deal with you.”

            “Yeah? What do you mean?”

            “If you meet me and tell me what’s going on with you, I will wipe your record. I will also stop following you. Is that an agreement?”

            “Just offer to buy me coffee, sweetheart. I’ll see you whenever you like.”

            Hanzo huffed. Jesse decided he liked the sound. “Tomorrow morning at Watchpoint, 8 am. Don’t be late.”

            Jesse was surprised that Hanzo used the same diner that he and Fareeha met in, but he didn’t question it. “Sure. I won’t.”

            Hanzo hung up, hoping he hadn’t made a huge mistake. Jesse floated all the way back to his apartment.


	6. Fraternizing with the Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo and McCree go out to breakfast for a chat.

            “Good morning, detective Shimada. You’re in early. What do you need?” Dr. Zhou was cheerful as always, sitting amidst a sea of paperwork and lab equipment.

            “I’m meeting with a suspect. Do you have any recording equipment available?”

            “Sure, let me check the books.” Mei typed something quickly into her computer, then looked quizzically back at Hanzo. “There’s nothing from Morrison in here.”

            “He doesn’t know about it. This is entirely on me.”

            Mei looked highly uncomfortable at that. “You know I’m not supposed to give out equipment without the captain’s approval. You know that. I’m sorry.”

            Hanzo sighed. “I don’t want to get him in trouble in case this goes wrong.”

            “But you’d be getting me in trouble!” Mei squeaked. “How is that different?”

            “Because you don’t have to log that you gave it to me,” Hanzo said impatiently. “Please. Mei, just this once. I won’t even be using it that long. An hour at most.”

            She tapped her foot, looked to the side, sneezed, then walked backward into the mountain of boxes behind her. Hanzo waited, running his fingers over the phone in his pocket. Mei returned after a few minutes, handed him a pen. “This is the best I can do, without approval. But it’ll work.”

            “A recording pen? Mei, children use these.”

            “Your attitude is childish, so that’s all you get,” she sniffed. “just clip it onto your shirt and quit complaining.”

            A crash from the stairwell made them both jump. “I guess Winston just got in,” she said, pushing on Hanzo’s shoulders. “Get out of here before you get me in trouble.”

            “Winston isn’t your boss, you know, Mei.”

            “He’s my _friend_ , who I can’t _lie to,_ and if he sees you here he’ll ask why and I’ll tell him. So vamoose!”

            “Vamoose?” Hanzo spluttered as he was forcibly removed. “What on earth is that word?”

            He was pushed out the back stairwell and Mei returned to her desk just in time to greet the large man entering their shared office. “Good morning, Mei,” he said brightly, then retreated to his own desk to check for results on the tests from the night before. She sighed with relief.

            Hanzo clipped the pen to his shirt as he ran up the stairs, still glowering. He had just managed to get his scowl under control when Jesse entered the diner and saw him sitting in a two-person booth. The taller man sauntered over, grinning the whole damn way, making it a ridiculous scene. Hanzo was about to grab him by the shirt and pull him down into the booth by the time he got there.

            “Morning, Hanzo.”

            “We are _not_ on a first-name basis, cowboy. I want to ask you a few questions.”

            “I got that, but let me order breakfast first.”

            The detective sighed and fiddled with his tie while McCree order a stack of pancakes.

            “Okay, shoot. What do you want to know?”

            “It is no secret that I suspect you of greater crimes than theft. Is that true?”

            McCree paused, taking a sip of coffee. He couldn’t give away too much personal information, so he had to think through all his answers. “Not currently.”

            “What does that mean?”

            “Means I got a record. But it’s behind me, now.”

            “None in my databases.”

            “Well, let’s just say I managed to turn myself around and I got a clean slate out of it.”

            “From who?”

            “I can’t tell you that, sweetheart. It’d be too easy.”

            Hanzo scowled. “Then what are you doing shoplifting?”

            “Well, I kinda wanted to meet you, so I made a scene. Then I wanted to see you again, and it sort of snowballed from there, if you get my drift.”

            Hanzo stared at him in disbelief, then snorted loudly. It almost made Jesse jump. “You expect me to believe that?”

            “Well, it’s the truth, so yeah.”

            “Then why in god’s name would…” Hanzo trailed off, realizing that he couldn’t tell this criminal that the FBI was on his trail. “I still think you are lying to me.”

            “Now I ain’t lying to you,” Jesse put his hands down, flat on the table. “There’s some stuff I ain’t telling you right now, ‘cause of you being a cop and all, but maybe I…” he looked away, around the diner to make sure that Fareeha or Satya wasn’t watching or listening. Hanzo noticed but did not comment. “Maybe I can. Sometime. Not now, I mean. But sometime soon.”

            “So you plan to return to petty theft to get my attention?”

            “If it’ll work,” Jesse winked at him.

            “If I hear you have done anything else, I will set my brother on you, which you do not want.”

            “Yeah? What’s he like?”

            “Less reserved.”

            Jesse smiled. “That sounds a bit like a threat.”

            “It is not a threat. It is only the truth.”

            The pancakes arrived, so they were both quiet for a bit. Through a mouthful of pancake, Jesse asked, “Do you only have one brother?”

            “Yes. Only one sibling.”

            “That’s nice. I don’t have any. Well, kinda got one, but none biologically related.”

            “We do not get along so well.”

            Jesse shrugged. “Better than having no one at all. Your parents around?”

            “No. They are both dead.”

            “Same here.”

            Hanzo narrowed his eyes at the cowboy. “What are you trying to get me to give away?”

            “Nothing. I just want to chat. Tell me about your day yesterday. Before you met me, I mean.”

            “I had little work to do. My partner was being difficult, as she usually is. There— “

            “Partner as in work partner, or as in romantic partner?” the words came out a little quicker than Jesse wanted them to, and Hanzo recognized the meaning, as he smirked.

            “I am single.”

            “Well that’s good. I mean that’s…how it is. I mean so am I.”

            “There are two crossing guards that come to visit the precinct,” Hanzo said, stirring his coffee absently. “They are very kind. They bring food to us often.”

            “Aw, that’s kinda cute. They’re friends with you?”

            “With all of us.”

            “Aw.”

            “What about your day?”

            “I slept in, made myself eggs, got into a fight with a co-worker, and visited my friends down at the bar. Then I ran into you.”

            “What is your favorite color?”

            Jesse raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

            “You said you wanted to chat. I know plenty of inane questions I can ask, if you’d like.”

            “It’s red,” Jesse tried not to laugh. “Favorite color is red. Yours?”

            “Blue.”

            “That’s a good one too.”

            Hanzo smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you listen closely, you can hear Genji in the background screaming "IT WAS A DATE!!"


	7. New Evidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why was Hanzo so late this morning?

            “And why, may I ask, are you so late?” Captain Morrison looked pissed. “Shimada, you’ve never been late once in five years. Then you show up at ten am looking pleased as punch. What have you pulled off?”

            “Nothing,” Hanzo said. “I had breakfast with a…friend, and I lost track of the time.”

            “I call bullshit,” Genji interjected as he strode into the room. “we all know you don’t have any friends, brother.”

            Hanzo rolled his eyes and returned his attention to his computer, effectively ending the conversation.

            “You got a reprimand for this,” Jack warned. “Don’t do it again.”

            As soon as he was gone, both Amélie and Genji stared at him. He looked up. “What?”

            “Who did you really eat breakfast with?”

            “Amélie. It is not a big deal.”

            “You have _never_ been late, Hanzo. Something is going on.”

            “I know!” Genji clapped his hands. “You ran into the cowboy, didn’t you?”

            Hanzo’s eyes flashed angrily at his brother. “I did not.”

            “Mon dieu, you did!” Amélie gasped. “You had breakfast with a criminal?”

            “I offered him a deal. He gave me no useful information, so I did nothing for him.”

            “Why did it take you so long then?”

            “I already said; I lost track of time.”

            “Ha!” Genji laughed. “You like him! It was a date! You’re dating the cowboy!”

            “It was not a _date,”_ Hanzo snarled. “Why are you down here, anyway? You don’t work on this floor.”

            “Do I need a reason to say hello to my favorite brother?”

            “Your _only_ brother.”

            “Yeah, yeah. I wanted a favor, actually. There have been a lot of noise complaints at an apartment building on 14th south. Can you tell me if there’s been any history in that building?”

            “What’s the address?” Hanzo pulled up his records.

            “Wow, no bribery necessary? This really is a good day!”

            “Address.”

            Genji gave it to him, and Hanzo found that the building had several noise complaints and two drug possession arrests.

            “Thank you, brother. I owe you one,” Genji promised, and bounced back to the elevator.

            Amélie looked at Hanzo over her computer screen. “That was kind of you.”

            “He would’ve just kept pestering me if I didn’t.”

            “Mei called up for you an hour ago,” Amélie said, nonchalantly as you please. “She wanted you to come down as soon as you got in. You'd better go, because I’m not going to be on the receiving end of her wrath for not telling you.”

            Hanzo sighed. “Thanks.”

            Winston was the one to greet him when he arrived in the basement, cheerful as ever. “Hello, detective Shimada! You must have heard that Mei was asking for you. She’ll be back in a minute.”

            The detective sat down in front of Mei’s desk and observed the mess of boxes and equipment that was the basement lab. He had no idea how the two scientists worked down here. It looked impossible to find anything. Mei popped her head out of the mounds of boxes and said, “I got it, Winston!” once her whole body was out, carrying a box that looked just a little too heavy for her, she saw Hanzo. “Detective Shimada!” there was a threatening edge to her tone. Hanzo didn’t like it. “I called for you a long time ago.”

            “Well, I only just returned to the office,” Hanzo stood, and handed her the pen. “I didn’t need it after all.”

            “Didn’t need a pen?” Winston commented.

            “I found that I had one in my pocket anyway.” Mei gave him a dark look, but pocketed the pen and shooed him off.

            “Thanks for stopping by, call us if you need anything, we’re very very busy goodbye!”

            The door had barely hit Hanzo’s back when Winston said, “That was rather rude, wasn’t it? Hanzo is a perfectly polite fellow.”

            “He asked a favor of me this morning, and didn’t exactly keep up his end of the bargain.”

            “I suppose it was an extenuating circumstance. You know how he is; he loses his head over cases. He returned your pen, anyway, right?”

            “Yes, I guess so.” Mei sighed and sat back down at her desk. “He’s really been out of it since he first arrested that dirty man, the cowboy, as everyone keeps calling him. I just remember taking his personal effects and they were all gross. Did you know he smoked cigars?”

            “Of course I do, Mei, you mention it every time he comes up,” Winston chuckled at her. “he’s in here once every couple of weeks, but he’s never really done anything so bad. I think Hanzo is just bored and the guy gives him something to do.”

            “Maybe,” Mei tapped the pen against her desk, then returned her attention to the computer. She had better things to do than gossip about the police officers, anyway.


	8. Intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both the Shimadas are in trouble.

            “I suppose you know why I was asked to have a talk with you,” Dr. Zenyatta said, looking over his clipboard at Hanzo.

            “It’s about how distracted I have been from my regular work,” Hanzo sighed. “yes, I know.”

            The psychologist beamed. “Then what do you think I’m going to say to you?”

            “The same thing everyone else has said. Let go of the cowboy.”

            “Hanzo, you arrested him for the first time almost four months ago. The FBI came in to reprimand you six weeks ago. You apparently had breakfast with him, and you’re still arresting him on a regular basis, for a different crime each time.”

            “It’s not my fault that he has a pathological need to break the law.”

            “Detective Shimada.” Zenyatta places his clipboard on the desk and folded his hands under his chin. “At the very least, I recommend that you not be the overseeing officer every single time he gets taken in. The more you see him, the more distracted you get. You know, everyone is starting to worry about you.”

            Hanzo rolled his eyes. “You mean Genji has been pestering you—I know how close you two are. He helped you get this job, after all.”

            “Your brother is only one person who has noted it,” Zenyatta informed him. “Your captain has also requested that you come to me, and your partner, detective Lacroix. Even miss Orisa seemed to think it necessary to pop in and mention your name to me.”

            “How does Orisa even know you?”

            “I know everyone,” Zenyatta said, in his usual infuriatingly monotonic cryptic tone. “this fixation is not good for you, detective. Maybe you should consider taking a break for a few days.”

            “I will do no such thing,” Hanzo snapped. “I have a job and a duty to perform. I will continue to do so, and nothing is preventing me from making my other arrests and closing other cases. You are all overreacting!” with that, he stood and stalked out of the psychologist’s office. Zenyatta shook his head in exasperation.

            Upon returning to the precinct, Hanzo went to the holding cell, where Jesse McCree sat, whistling some tune he didn’t know.

            “McCree, you are far more trouble than you’re worth.”

            “That’s all anyone says about me,” the cowboy said with a charming smile. “your partner just finished taking my statement. Can I go now?”

            “Amélie!” Hanzo called, and she lifted her head. “You talked to McCree?”

            “You were busy, so I took it, yes,” she huffed. “If you have a problem with it, talk to the captain.”

            Hanzo rubbed the back of his head, sighed, tried to accept that he was not being mistreated, and raised his eyes to meet Jesse’s.

            “I love that piercing,” he said.

            “What?”

            “On your nose,” Jesse pointed. “I like it.”

            “Thank you.”

            “Do you think you wanna do breakfast again sometime? I’ll buy.”

            “I don’t think so,” Hanzo shook his head slowly, then more decisively. “No. I do not get breakfast with criminals.”

            “Aw, come on, Hanzo. We had so much fun last time.”

            “I was late for work and I learned nothing of use.”

            “You learned a little about me and I learned a little about you. I think that’s the whole point.”

            Hanzo unlocked the door. “You may leave, McCree. And you are not allowed to call me Hanzo!” he shouted at the cowboy as he entered the elevator. Genji slipped out at the same time, giving Jesse a look, but then addressing Hanzo, looking a bit roughed up.

            “You will never guess what happened to me.”

            “You look like hell.”

            “That apartment building I had you look up a month ago? Keeps putting out noise complaints and tenants say they smell weed. I finally went up there today to check it out,” Genji groaned and rubbed his shoulder. “Just a bunch of kids being stupid.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Four people crammed into an apartment, a gamer, her DJ boyfriend, a British runner, and an ugly pyro,” Genji made his way over to Hanzo’s desk. “They all hang out there at night and play games together. The neighbors think they’re smoking pot, but they aren’t. I searched the place. They’re just a bunch of energetic kids, and I looked like a total idiot.”

            Hanzo chuckled. “Nice.”

            “You know what the worst part was? The landlord was a total asshole. I had to practically bully him into letting me in. Huge guy, refused to be called by anything but ‘Roadhog’, which is terrifying in and of itself, and he followed me up there. Told the pyro kid not to tell me anything, I think they’re related or something, whatever.”

            “So you barged into some children’s apartment while they were playing video games and searched for something that wasn’t there?”

            “Yes! I am so embarrassed. And the pyro kid, he had a prosthetic arm and leg. He kept trying to touch mine every time I turned away from him. Kid wouldn’t stop staring at my scars,” Genji touched the burn scar on his neck unconsciously. “it was creepy.”

            “You said he was a pyro. He probably recognized the scar as a burn. He’s most likely had mishaps with bombs, just as you had,” Hanzo suggested. “Why don’t you go whine to your psychologist friend? He has more sympathy for you than I do right now.”

            “Why, cause your boyfriend got let out again?” Genji teased.

            Hanzo smacked him lightly on the head. “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s a multiple offender and a hardened criminal.”

            “He’s pretty cheery for a hardened criminal.”

            “Genji, I swear to god.”

            “Okay, okay, I’m going. Jeez.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha, Genji, you fucked up


	9. Gossip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji spends his day complaining.

            Angela Ziegler dropped the scalpel in her hand as the door to her lab slammed open. She was about to start yelling when she recognized the young cop in the doorway.

            “Genji? You don’t look good.”

            “I fucked up, Angela. I made myself an ass in front of four kids and their landlord.”

            “Oh, I’m sure it wasn’t that bad.”

            “They hadn’t done anything wrong, but I went and accused them of all this shit, and searched all of their apartments.”

            “That is a bit bad,” she smiled and patter his shoulder. “We all make mistakes, Genji. I’m sure no one was hurt.”

            He shrugged. “At the very least, the landlord will never let another cop into his building as long as he lives, so I have that on my record.”

            “No one has to know that it was your fault,” she soothed him. “Now, if you don’t mind, I was about to cut open this body…”

            “Do you need any help?”

            Angela furrowed her eyebrows. “This is not really your area, Genji…”

            “I would like to be helpful, in some way.”

            “Why don’t you go do your own job and buy me dinner later then?” she said, nonchalant but stomach fluttering at the suggestion.

            Genji laughed, and she folded her arms. “Fine, if that’s how you want to— “

            “I’ll come get you after work.”

            She blinked in surprise. “Oh. I—I was joking with you.”

            “Well, I’m not.”

            “Okay, then.”

            Genji left her lab then, heading up to see the other doctor he knew well.

            “Zenyatta…” he landed on the floor facedown.

            “I already heard all about it,” said the psychologist. “You made an ass of yourself. Your brother thinks it is all rather funny.”

            “This is awful,” the cop said from the floor. “But I got a date out of it.”

            Zenyatta leaned over his desk to look at Genji. “With Dr. Ziegler?”

            “How did you guess?”

            “It’s no secret you like her, Genji. But remember to be careful.”

            “Hey, after our breakup, I think I can be counted as someone who stays on good terms with their exes.”

            “I would hardly call it breaking up, if we were never dating in the first place.”

            “Yeah, but we had, like, a thing.”

            “You were my client, Genji.”

            “But we liked each other.”

            “But I did not like you the way you needed.”

            “Okay, okay, fine, I don’t need a recount. You’re asexual, I’m not, it didn’t work out. But this is different. She isn’t ace. I don’t think she is, anyway.”

            Zenyatta sighed. “Will you get up, Genji.”

            Genji heaved himself into the chair in front of his former therapist. “I’m not the only one having romantic developments. Did you know that—“

            “If you’re about to ask me if I know that Mei’s girlfriend is coming back into town for a few weeks, yes, I did know that.”

            Genji pouted dramatically. “Damn. But did you also know about Hanzo?”

            “What about him?”

            “You were supposed to talk to him about the criminal, McCree. I asked you to, but there’s more to it than he’s just obsessed with catching him.”

            Zenyatta lifted an eyebrow.

            “They went on a date. Like, a month ago. And Hanzo has his phone number. I think they text sometimes, and Hanzo doesn’t even use his number to track him! I’m pretty sure Hanzo likes him.”

            “That is indeed surprising, and very unlike Hanzo.”

            “I don’t know. To be into a criminal? We were kinda raised in a crime family, if you recall.”

            “Of course. But I would think that Hanzo’s disgust at his own past has expanded to all those criminals. I have seen the evidence of it.”

            Genji shrugged. “The cowboy’s different. I’ve only seen him once, but he just rubbed me the wrong way. Well, not the wrong way. He rubbed me the _right_ way. Does that make sense?”

            “I do not follow you.”

            “He didn’t seem like a criminal to me.”

            “Well, in light of recent events, we all know how good your radar is at sensing criminals…”

            “Please don’t tease me over this, Zenyatta, I’ve tortured myself enough.”

            Zenyatta simply smiled and leaned back. “As you wish, my student.”

            Genji stood. “Now that I’ve gotten all of that out of my system, I better go explain to the captain what happened.”

            “Should I send the bill to your address, or…?”

            “You’re not my therapist anymore, you’re my friend. Which means you no longer get paid for listening to me.”

            “I might as well get paid for something.”

            “I’ll pay you to shut up.”

            “That will never happen, my friend.”

            Genji rolled his eyes as he shut the door to Zenyatta’s office. The psychologist began to write himself a note about what he had said—specifically about Hanzo. It was troubling information to say the least. He wasn’t sure what to make of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is a bit of a slow chapter. But things will pick up in chapter 10!


	10. Al Diablo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel is starting to get concerned about the state of his case.

            Gabriel Reyes knocked before entering his niece’s office. It was polite, and if you didn’t, she hacked into your bank accounts and gave herself money for it, kind of like a mandatory swear jar. She was sitting in front of three computer screens, but not typing anything, just musing over a few maps. She swiveled around in her chair.

            “Hola, tio,” she smiled and gestured for him to sit down. “Qué pasa?”

            “Hola, sombra,” Gabriel leaned back in the chair. “You still got eyes on McCree?”

            “Of course.” Sombra turned back to the computer screens and pulled up another map, with a red dot moving slowly down a street. “You worried about him?”

            “I’ve been reading his reports. Things are moving faster than either of us wanted. We might have to push up the arrests, which could put him in a dangerous situation or prevent us from getting everyone at once.”

            Sombra shrugged. “I could fix that, you know. Move a few things around in the community calendar, as you would say.”

            “Fareeha is angry at him too.”

            “Fareeha is angry at everyone, all the time. That’s no skin off your back. What’s the real issue here?”

            “Jesse isn’t handling himself as well on this mission, and I think it has to do with that detective.”

            “Wait,” Sombra held up a finger. “Let me pull up his location too.”

            A dark blue dot appeared on the same map after a bit of typing, but they were nowhere near each other. Gabriel didn’t know why that made him feel relieved.

            “Looks like they aren’t fucking each other, right now at least,” Sombra smirked.

            “Come on, chica, don’t talk like that,” Gabriel scratched the back of his head. “He needs to resolve whatever’s going on between them before he can get his head back in the game.”

            “Speaking from personal experience, Gabe?”

            Her uncle shot her a dirty look. She smiled and turned back to the computer. A light blue dot appeared on the map, at the police precinct. “Have you called him since that brunch you had two months ago?”

            Gabe shook his head. “No, I haven’t. I’ve been…”

            “Too busy?”

            He swatted at her head, and she giggled. “I just don’t like seeing you unhappy.”

            “I’m not unhappy.”

            “But you miss him.”

            “Of course I miss him,” Gabriel sighed. “There’s no getting around that.”

            “Looks like Jesse is heading back here,” Sombra changed the subject, looking at the map.

            “Good, I want to have a word with that punk.”

            Sombra laughed and shooed him out of her office. He walked back into his own and waited for the inevitable buzz. It only took fifteen minutes.

            “Hey, Gabe.”

            “Jessito.”

            “Aw, hey, you know I hate that nickname. You called me that when I was a teenager. A kid.”

            “Yeah? Well you’ve been acting like a kid since you met that detective. Can you tell me what’s going on?”

            Jesse blushed slightly. “Look, it’s nothing, really. I just like him. But he’s, you know, not interested, what with him thinking I’m a criminal and all.”

            “He’s distracting you. You gotta admit you’ve been off the ball a lot lately.”

            “I’ll bounce back. Seriously, it’s nothing.”

            “If you’re sure…” Gabriel didn’t sound convinced.

            “Don’t be like this. Everyone’s like this. Fareeha’s been pissed that you didn’t give her this job, and Satya’s pissed that Fareeha’s pissed, and Sombra just wants to make fun of me, and now you’re projecting your failed relationship with Morrison onto me. Just ‘cause you can’t get over him is no reason I would— “

            “I think,” Gabriel stood up. “You’ve overstepped your bounds, agent McCree.”

            “Okay. Okay, that was mean. I’m sorry. But you have to admit— “

            “Just…be careful, Jesse. That’s all I’m asking. We’re thinking of pushing the ambush up. Maybe within the next few weeks. You got everything you need to put them all away, haven’t you?”

            “Yeah, they trusted me real fast,” Jesse pulled off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “Okay, I can handle that.”

            “Good. Dismissed.”

            Jesse nodded and left the room. On his walk back to his apartment, his phone buzzed. He pulled it out, and smiled at the message he had received.

            _Want to get a drink?_

            _Absolutely, just tell me where,_ he responded. He knew, in the rational part of his mind, that he shouldn’t see Hanzo again, not until this was over. But this was the second time that Hanzo had extended an olive branch, and he wasn’t about to let it go.

            He turned on his heel and started heading back toward the bar Hanzo mentioned. He would probably get a sandwich or something, too, now that he thought about it. Jesse was so deep in thought about it that he walked directly into a large, pink-haired woman. She sniffed down at him and waved her beefy arms. “Watch where you’re going!”

            He shrugged. “Sorry, just distracted,” he said, and passed her by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sombra is my favorite, I love Sombra~, everybody get ready for some major feels~


	11. Setup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse goes out for a drink with the detective, but it's not the romantic atmosphere he was hoping for.

            In hindsight, Jesse probably should’ve realized that this was a bad bar to enter with a cop in tow. He was just so damn excited, he didn’t even notice that Hanzo had invited him to the bar he’d caught him outside of months ago. It felt like a lifetime ago.

            Hanzo was waiting for him outside. He smiled and stood straight when he saw Jesse, and that was about enough to make the cowboy’s heart melt. _Maybe I’m not so invulnerable after all._ He could hear Gabe’s voice in his head: “not distracted, my ass.” And Sombra would chime in with “not my ass, either, bobo!”

            Right now, he wasn’t going to be thinking about them, or about that. He was going to have a drink with a handsome man. And what was the problem with that?

            “Hey, Hanzo.”

            “Good evening, Jesse,” Hanzo looked him up and down. “No cigar?”

            “Was in my uncle’s office. He doesn’t like it when I smoke in there.” _Fuck, I wasn’t supposed to tell him anything._

            “To be honest, I feel the same way about it,” Hanzo sighed. “But you have your habits, I suppose. Shall we go in?”

            “Yeah, of course,” walking through the door Jesse almost took his hat off out of respect, but when he saw the strange look he was getting from the bartender he knew so well he dropped his hand right back. _Fuck._

            Hanzo sat down at the bar and politely asked if they had sake. Jesse recognized the word—some Asian drink, he thought. He just wanted whiskey.

            “What is sake, anyway?”

            “Do you want to taste it?” Hanzo offered the glass to Jesse, who took a sip, trying not to think that Hanzo’s mouth was previously on this glass.

            “Taste is fine,” Jesse shrugged. “But doesn’t really burn nicely like good liquor.”

            Hanzo rolled his eyes. “It is a Japanese drink—rice wine. My father used to like it. He drank it a lot in Japan.”

            “I didn’t know you were from Japan.”

            “Yes,” Hanzo raised an eyebrow. “My brother and I moved to the United States shortly after our father died.”

            “Too many bad memories, huh?”

            “Many more than you know.” Hanzo was silent for a few minutes. “But that’s not something I want to talk about right now.”

            “I get it,” Jesse stretched his arms out. “What would you prefer to talk about?”

            Hanzo tapped his fingers on his glass a few times. “What did you see your uncle for?”

            Jesse froze. “He, uh…wanted to chew me out. He basically raised me, and he likes to call me whenever I fuck up.” It wasn’t a total lie. And to his surprise, Hanzo laughed a little.

            “I can understand that.”

            “How was your day?”

            The detective paused. “Genji wanted to me to go to some apartment building and have a talk with the landlord, but I told him that was his problem. It was a quiet day. Amélie and I had to visit a small home at the edge of our jurisdiction for a B&E. Nothing was stolen, though.”

            “That’s good.”

            “You wouldn’t know anything about it, would you?” Hanzo’s eyes sparkled with a kind of mirth Jesse hadn’t seen there before.

            It was gorgeous.

            “Heh, naw, I’ve been in town all day. Scout’s honor,” he said with a grin. Maybe if Hanzo had been a little less beautiful, Jesse would’ve noticed the scowl that the bartender was shooting his way. Maybe he would’ve expected that he’d call the cowboy over to talk.

            “Yo, Jared! Get over here.”

            Jesse’s head snapped up. “Yeah, sure.” He looked at Hanzo, who was mildly confused but did not question him. _Thank god._ “Excuse me.”

            His “friend” grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the back. “Is that a cop?”

            “What?”

            “That guy you’re with. Is he a fucking cop? You brought a cop in here?”

            “Look, relax, okay? Coming here was his suggestion.”

            “His suggestion! He’s setting you up, you idiot! He’s gonna try and pin us down. I thought I could trust you, Jared!”

            “It’s not like that,” Jesse shook his head. “He doesn’t even know I know you. Although _now_ he does, thanks a lot.”

            “Get out the back. I’m getting him out of here.”

            “What? No, that’ll just make him more suspicious!”

            “I don’t care. I want him out of my bar!”

            “Wait— “

            But the man was already stalking back towards the bar, eyes fixed on Hanzo. The detective surely noticed, but finished his drink calmly. “Hey, you! You’re a cop, aren’t you?”

            “Yes, I am.” Hanzo glanced down his nose at the offender. “I am also a paying customer who wants no trouble.”

            “Like hell you don’t. You finished your drink, now go.”

            “Excuse me?”

            “Get out!”

            Hanzo didn’t move a muscle. He just held eye contact with the bartender, and Jesse stood completely stunned. He couldn’t bring himself to move. If he defended Hanzo, he’d give himself away to the bartender. But if he defended the bartender, he’d give himself away to Hanzo. If he did nothing, he looked like an idiot and probably gave something away to both of them. Why did he ever let Hanzo bring him in here?

            “I said OUT!” Hanzo caught the fist before it ever connected with his face. He stood, still holding it, then twisted the man’s wrist sharply. He let out a yell.

            “I would appreciate not being assaulted,” Hanzo said coolly. “You will be hearing from the police in the morning.”

            “Hanzo, wait!” Jesse couldn’t hold back the warning. It was too late, though. Two men grabbed the detective from behind and thrust him out the door. Hanzo landed on his feet, coiled like a cat, ready to fight them. The bartender grabbed Jesse by the shirt.

            “What the hell, Jared? You sound like you’re helping out a cop! Why didn’t you get him out of here? You’re the best fighter we ever had!”

            “I got into enough scrapes with the law recently,” Jesse managed to keep his voice steady, holding his hands up in surrender. “I gotta stay on my feet right now.” Wasting no more time, he ran outside, only to discover a calm Hanzo standing over two large unconscious men. He looked virtually unharmed. However, once his eyes met Jesse’s, they flared with anger.

            “You have lied to me.”

            “No, Hanzo, it’s not— “

            “You were working with these people. You told me you were not, you told me that organized crime was behind you, and you were lying. You even let me come here, knowing that I would be attacked! Is that what you were hoping for?”

            “I didn’t know! I thought we were just two friends getting a drink!”

            “You are _not_ my friend, Jesse McCree, in any sense of the word. I do not have time for dishonest men.” Hanzo turned on his heel and stalked away. He stopped, turned slightly, and said, “You were smart not to attack me. I have no reason to arrest you now. But know that I will not rest until you are behind bars for what you have done—I hope you never see the light of day again, and I sincerely hope that _I_ never have to see you again.”

            Jesse sucked in a breath as he watched Hanzo leave. There was a sudden ache in his chest that was overwhelming, and he tried to subdue it before the detective was out of sight. He opened the door to the bar and found his “friend” watching him with arms folded.

            “He’s not arresting any of us right now.”

            The bartender sighed in relief. “Good. Fucking good. You’re lucky you managed to talk him out of it, or else you’d be out on your ass. But you’re in hot water,” he added, “Don’t think you’re not.”

            “Oh, I had no doubt in my mind.”


	12. Break in the Case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Genji makes an important discovery.

            Hanzo was seething when he returned to the apartment he (regrettably) shared with his brother. Genji was laying on the couch, flipping through channels on the television. “Hey, brother, you were out late. Want to tell me what—“ He sat up and stopped dead when he saw Hanzo’s face. “Wow. Uh. What happened?”

            “I went to get a drink with the cowboy,” Hanzo said through gritted teeth. “He set me up. He was friends with the criminals that owned it, and they attacked me. He let this happen.”

            “Oh. Hanzo, I’m sorry,” Hanzo waved his hand to stop him.

            “There is nothing to be sorry for. I have not lost a friend. I have not been injured in any way.” He pushed his shoulders backwards in an attempt to stand straighter and stretch out his back. “I’m going to bed.”

            “All right.”

            As soon as Hanzo had disappeared into his room, Genji grabbed his cell phone. “come on, come on, pick up!”

            “Hanzo? Jesus, I’m so sorry, it’s not what you thought it was, really it wasn’t, I— “

            “This isn’t Hanzo.”

            “What? Who the hell are you?”

            “I’m his brother, Genji. We met, I think, in an elevator at the police precinct.”

            “Oh…” McCree paused. “The one with the burn scars?”

            “Yes.”

            “You do kinda look alike.”

            “Thank you. I would like to tell you something.”

            “Yeah? What is it?”

            “I don’t believe you are a criminal.” Genji paused, trying to find the right words. “You do not seem like one to me. And my brother and I would know. We were criminals once, and we turned our lives around. I can only assume you had a good reason to lie to him, but I’m not going to try and guess it. Just know this:” He turned to look at Hanzo’s closed door. “You broke his heart. And I don’t say that lightly. Hanzo doesn’t like anyone. He barely even likes me. He spoke big, but he honestly wanted to believe the best in you. If you care about him at all, you would find a way to explain this to him.”

            “I can’t. Not right now. I want to, believe me.”

            “As soon as you can, then.” Genji leaned back on the couch. “He doesn’t want to hear from you right now anyway.”

            “Okay.”

            “If you fix this, I might learn to like you for his sake. But at the moment I’m going to hang up without saying goodbye or using any pleasantries.”

            “I understand.”

            True to his word, Genji hit the end button and put Hanzo’s phone back where he had left it. He then used his own to call Zenyatta.

            “Hello?”

            “Zenyatta. Good, you’re awake.”

            “I’m always awake.”

            “Wha—? Okay, whatever. Hanzo is in love with the cowboy. It took me a long time to figure it out, but holy shit, he is, and he got attacked outside a bar, and I don’t even— “

            “Slow down, Genji. What did you want to tell me?”

            “He’s hurt, Zenyatta,” Genji stared at Hanzo’s door. “I mean, not physically, he could handle his attackers. But he’s hurt, really badly, and I don’t think I can help him.”

            Zenyatta was quiet for a long moment. “What do you want me to do about it?”

            “Look, I don’t know. But you’re better at this kind of thing than I am. Maybe tomorrow you could…talk to him about it?”

            “If I summon him to my office, he will be on the defensive. He always is when he has to talk to me.”

            “Then come up with another excuse! I don’t know! Who else should I call about this?”

            “You could call the cowboy.”

            “Oh, I already did. Told him what I think about this whole mess.”

            “Well,” Zenyatta sounded surprised. “You _have_ learned from me, I suppose.”

            “Good to know I have your approval, my master,” Genji said, sarcastically.

            “Should you report it to his captain?”

            “Morrison? No way, he’ll freak out. He’s been pissed at Hanzo over this whole thing since the day it started. Plus, Hanzo didn’t make any arrests, so it’s not his business. If Hanzo thinks he needs to know, he’ll tell him himself.”

            “What about Detective Lacroix?”

            “She doesn’t give a crap about him.”

            “Then who would he speak to about this kind of thing?”

            “Me!” Genji stopped, covering his eyes with his hand. “he would talk to me. But he’s not.”

            “Maybe he just needs to sleep on it, Genji. He may be ready to open up about it in the morning.”

            “No, he didn’t tell me anything about what was going on between him and McCree! That’s the point! He would have! That’s how serious this is, Zenyatta. I’m the only person he has to confide in and he didn’t even tell me.”

            Zenyatta remained on the line, silent. “Perhaps you should get some sleep, Genji.”

            “You think that would help?”

            “It might calm you down.”

            “Don’t talk to me like I’m hysterical!” Genji yelled, then realized his mistake.

            “Okay. Okay, I’ll go to bed. But only because you told me to.”

            “I’m glad to hear it.”

            “Goodnight then, Zenyatta.”

            “Goodnight, my friend.”

            Genji dropped his phone onto the couch and sighed. Reluctantly, he dragged himself up and retreated to his own room. Maybe Hanzo would open up in the morning.


	13. Guilty as Charged

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse made a huge mistake. Gabriel wants to fix things. No one listens to anyone else.

            “Pinche cabrón!” Gabe was too angry to even sit down. He was pacing back and forth in the front of his office. Fareeha sat in the corner, arms folded, glaring at the subject of Gabriel’s wrath.

            Jesse McCree sat stone-faced, having long ago learned not to show when he was hurt. He kept one leg folded over the other, tapping one finger on his knee, feigning boredom. He said nothing and held eye contact with Gabriel when possible.

            “I can’t believe you would be this stupid. Jesse, what the hell were you thinking? You’re one of my best agents, but you really fucked up on this one. The entire group of people you had so perfectly fooled are now suspicious of you, and the cops are back on your trail as a criminal. I actually don’t know how you could have fucked up worse. I really don’t.”

            “Am I allowed to talk now, or…?”

            “Quit being a smartass and tell me you’re going to fix this. Tell me _exactly_ _how_ you are going to fix this.”

            Jesse sighed and adjusted his hat. “We’re in luck.”

            “Well, thank god for that,” Fareeha snapped from the corner.

            “Saturday night,” Jesse glanced back at her, “they’re holding a big family conference to decide whether or not I’m forgiven. Everyone will be there. We can have the ambush then.”

            “In two days?!” Fareeha rose from her seat.

            “Calm down, Fareeha.” Gabe leaned down to look McCree in the eyes. “I can get us ready in two days. You sure we’ll get all the biggest marks?”

            “Yes,” Jesse rose his chin to appear confident. “It’ll be fine. All the head honchos deciding if they really trust me or not. Won’t matter—they don’t need to trust me next week, and they won’t.”

            “Okay,” Gabriel pulled off his beanie and ran a hand over his shorn hair. “Okay. Now the other half of the problem: how are you going to keep the cops off you?”

            “Hanzo saw that I didn’t assault anyone. He doesn’t have anything on me. I just have to lay low for two days. I can avoid him for that long.”

            “He has your phone number,” Fareeha reminded him. “He can find you, even if you aren’t doing anything.”

            “Then I’ll stay in one place. Look like I’m up to nothing.”

            “You’re still placing a lot of faith in detective Shimada.”

            Jesse stood up. “I think he’s mad at me as a person. I think his captain will suspend him if he tries anything else with me.”

            Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Why would he do that?”

            “Everyone at the precinct is apparently mad at him for focusing on me so much. I can get away with murder at this point. He says my name and all his fellow cops try to hold him down.”

            “You better be right about this, McCree,” Gabe growled. “If this whole mission is gone to shit because you couldn’t keep it in your pants, I would be extremely disappointed.”

            McCree couldn’t bring himself to do anything other than shrug, and Gabriel scowled. “Dismissed. Both of you. Escort him home, if you would, Fareeha.”

            She grumbled a bit but did as she was told. As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Gabriel picked up the phone.

            “Captain Morrison.”

            “Jack. Hey.”

            “Wow,” Jack sounded genuinely surprised. “This is a first. You’ve never called me from work.”

            “I know, but this is big. Look, I know all about the assault on your detective yesterday.”

            “I tried giving him time off, but he won’t take it. I swear, I need to institute mandatory vacation time.”

            “Yeah. You might want to start that sooner rather than later. I can’t say much more than this right now, but one of my agents was the cause of the attack.”

            “I kind of assumed that, but it’s nice to hear you admit to it. I’m pretty upset about this, Gabe. The guy’s shaken up, even if he won’t say so.” Jack leaned back in his chair, looking at Hanzo through the front window of his office. “It would be really nice if you could tell me how one of my men—who you were working so hard to keep away—managed to get in the middle of your operations.”

            Gabe gripped the edge of his desk, trying not to shout. _I’m trying to make amends, you idiot._ “I already told you I can’t say. You only need to hold on for two more days, then I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”

            “…Okay.”

            “I want to do something for you, though. We’re running an ambush on the biggest crime family in the city on Saturday night, and I’m going to bring in a few of your officers on the operation.”

            Jack was silent for a few minutes. “And you think that will make up for it?”

            Gabe lost his temper. “I _know_ it doesn’t make up for it, jackass! Not in the least! But this is all I have to give, so you can take it or _fucking_ leave it!”

            “I’ll take it, then.”

            “Give me your list of officers tomorrow.” Gabe pinched the bridge of his nose. “And do not invite Shimada.”

            “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

            Gabe wanted to say something else, anything else, maybe even an _I’m sorry_ , but Jack had already hung up. He didn’t even say goodbye.


	14. Friday Night Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo is not allowed to come on the federal case. He goes home instead.

            “You’ll never guess who got invited to a federal bust and _you didn’t,_ ” Amélie sang as she passed by Hanzo’s desk.

            “You, I suppose?”

            She gasped in pretend shock. “How did you know?”

            “There has been talk of little else around here,” Hanzo smiled wearily up at her. “I assume they do not want me to do anything so strenuous, as though I have been injured.”

            “They’re worried about you,” she sat down next to his desk and looked deeply at his face. “I’m worried about you too.”

            “There is nothing to be concerned about. There was an altercation, and I handled myself accordingly. Why everyone is behaving as though I got shot, I will never understand.” With that, he left the conversation completely to get a snack from the kitchen. Amélie shook her head and returned to her own desk. She opened up an email to the captain, attempting to ask him why Hanzo was kept out of it, even though she already had her suspicions. She wrote three different drafts of it before sighing and deleting the whole thing altogether. There was no point. Hanzo wasn’t going, and that was the end of it.

            Hanzo sat back down with a slice of spinach quiche, another Orisa Special. “Are you doing all right?”

            Amélie started. “I’m…yes. I miss Gerard already, you know.”

            “I’m sure you do.”

            “Have you met Mei’s girlfriend yet?”

            “I have seen her, but we have not been formally introduced. I know that she has little interest in science so she doesn’t spend time here.”

            Amélie shrugged. “She has pretty hair.”

            “Ah.”

            The conversation ended there, and they both returned to work in silence. After making a quick phone call to Ana’s office, Hanzo looked at Amélie for a minute.

            “So you will be with the federal officers tomorrow?”

            “Yeah.” She bit her lip. “It’s unfair that you were not invited.”

            “I don’t mind it,” Hanzo admitted. “I have been lacking in sleep lately.”

            “Do you think you ought to talk to Zenyatta?”

            “No,” Hanzo shook his head. “I have nothing to say to him.”

            “What about Genji?”

            “I have nothing to say to him, either.”

            “It’s just that…”

            “I know, Amélie.” The detective’s shoulders sagged a little in defeat. He was not denying it. “I’ll be all right.”

            She stood up then, and put her hand on his shoulder, a little awkwardly but still full of meaning. Hanzo rewarded her effort with a small smile. Once she had left the precinct, Jack left his office and looked right at Hanzo.

            “You ought to go home, Hanzo.”

            He raised an eyebrow at Jack. “Isn’t it rather early for that?”

            “How much work are you getting done right now?”

            Hanzo shut the computer off. “I suppose you’re right.”

            “We’ll talk on Monday. Have a good weekend,” Morrison looked uncomfortable, almost remorseful, but Hanzo decided not to press it.

            “You as well,” He said, and left.

            Genji was already home when he arrived. “What are you doing home?”

            “I was about to ask you the same question.”

            “Morrison let me leave early.”

            “Ah. Well, _I_ let me leave early.”

            Hanzo rolled his eyes. “How you manage to keep a job at all, I will never understand.” As he was walking off, Genji suddenly sat up straight and called for him.

            “Wait!”

            “Yes?”

            “Do you, uh…want to watch a movie with me?”

            Hanzo’s eyebrows shot up. “A movie?”

            “Yeah.”

            “Well…” he sat down next to Genji. “As long as it isn’t a horror movie.”

            “I know, I know, you hate those.”

            “With every fiber of my being.”

            The two brothers laughed. They lost track of time shortly after the first movie began, and only fell asleep after the sun had risen again. Hanzo and Genji snoozed together on the couch with Netflix blaring some inane comedy movie in the background. The sunlight glinted off Genji’s prosthetics, but Hanzo did not complain they were blinding as per usual. There was finally peace in that home.

            Hanzo awoke not long after midnight, to the sound of his cell phone going off. He rubbed his eyes and lifted the screen to his face.

            _McCree: I can explain everything now. Please give me a chance._

He sat up fully, nudging Genji awake as well.

            “Oh man, have we really been asleep all this time?”

            “Yes, and I recommend we actually retire to bed at this point.”

            Genji shrugged. “Well, I’m awake now.” He stood up and pulled Hanzo with him. “How about I make us a snack before we go to bed?”

            “Sure. I will join you in the kitchen in a minute.”

            _When do you want to meet?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Help I am weak for good sibling relationships


	15. Pardon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse tries to explain what's really been going on.

            McCree reached the diner first. He made sure he was early on purpose. He couldn’t mess this up, not again. His hat was a little askew and one of the top buttons on his shirt was undone but it was easily attributable to his lack of sleep (it was really the anxiety, of course). Every time the door opened his eyes shot to the doorway, hoping it was Hanzo, but it wasn’t. He would have been quite early.

            Jesse had been sitting in the booth for twenty minutes when Hanzo arrived. He spotted Jesse immediately and the look of barely restrained anger on his face made McCree shrink in his seat.

            “Well?” He said, standing over the cowboy in the booth.

            “Aren’t you even going to sit down? This is kind of a long story.”

            “I am not planning on staying long,” Hanzo lowered himself into the seat slowly. There were dark circles under his eyes.

            “Hey…have you been sleeping?”

            “I have not come here for small talk. You are lucky that I came at all.”

            “Right, right, sorry.” McCree took his hat off and run a hand through his hair. “Let me start by introducing myself properly, I guess.” He reached into his pocket and held out his badge to Hanzo. “Special Agent Jesse McCree.”

            The normally stoic detective was so shocked his jaw dropped open before he could catch it. “You are a federal agent?”

            “Yeah…” Jesse put the badge on the table. “Check it, if you want. I was undercover this whole time.”

            Hanzo held the badge in his hands, but he wasn’t looking at it. He was staring at McCree. Jesse took this as permission to keep talking.

            “Look, I wanted to tell you, I really did. But this whole thing was really classified, all hush-hush, you know? I wasn’t lying about the shoplifting to get your attention. That really _was_ so you’d notice me. It was a pretty stupid move, since I knew I couldn’t really interact with you properly until it was done, but I just…liked you, all right? And everything from there on was just me fucking up again and again. You made me stupid.”

            “Why did you let me believe what I believed?”

            “It was easier than trying to come up with another story. And I couldn’t tell you the truth. I was stuck. And I just…liked you paying all that attention to me.”

            “So the agents…”

            “Fareeha and Satya. They didn’t like me dealing with you while I was supposed to be working.”

            “You have an explanation for everything.” Hanzo did not look at Jesse’s face.

            “Only because everything you knew about me was fake! Well, not my name. Or my number, or that I have an uncle who likes to yell at me.”

            “You also said you had a record.”

            “Yeah. I was in a gang when I was a kid, right? Did some stuff I really wish I could forget about. I thought…I think you might understand that. But the current FBI director, you know, Reyes? He gave me a second chance. Turned me on the right side of the law and erased my past. He’s the ‘uncle’ I was talking about. He practically raised me. I owe him everything, and I almost completely blew this mission for him. But I didn’t!” Jesse smiled, though shakily. “We pulled off the bust last night and everything’s back to normal! So…”

            “So?”

            “We met at the wrong time. Do you think we could…I don’t know…start over?”

            Hanzo was silent for a long moment. He didn’t look at McCree, just the badge in his hand. Then he handed it back to the agent, who tried to take it without touching Hanzo’s hand.

            “What is your favorite color?”

            Jesse’s head snapped up to look into Hanzo’s eyes. He was smiling.

            “Red. My favorite color’s red. Yours?”

            “Blue.”

            “That’s a good one too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> almost hurt myself with the repetition I used here look at this cool callback 10/10 nice one


	16. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Gabe are called in to tell their sides of the story.

            Jack and Gabriel met outside the door to the police commissioner’s office. Neither wanted to go in just yet, so they settled for giving each other uncomfortable looks while ignoring the door handle.

            “So, what are you going to tell him?”

            “The truth. You?”

            “The same.”

            Gabriel fiddled with his tie. He hated wearing them.

            “Here—“ Jack reached out to fix it, but before he could, the door opened for them. Ana Amari stood in the doorway, one hand on her hip.

            “Were you two ever planning on coming in?”

            “Yeah, yeah, sorry.”

            Reinhardt was sitting at his desk with his hands folded. When all three of his guests had settled themselves into a seat, he gave each a hard stare with his good eye.

            “Well?” He leaned backwards, smiling widely. A complete change in mood. “It is good to be all together again, isn’t it?”

            Jack raised his eyebrows and Gabe scratched his arm awkwardly. “That’s not why you called us to come here, though, right?”

            “Ah, unfortunately not. Ana and I would like to know exactly what has been happening with your two agencies the last few months. Who wants to go first?”

            “I will,” Gabriel cut Jack off. “This whole thing was my fault. That’s why I came at all.”

            “Yeah, we all know we don’t have any power over you,” Jack rolled his eyes.

            “And I resent that!” Gabe glared at him. “I want to make things right. So here’s all of it: Jesse’s been working for me. He always has been. I had him go undercover so we could catch an organized crime family, planning on treason. He, being his own person, decided that a nice side mission would be to hit on one of Jack’s detectives. I tried to get him to stop or at least be subtle, but he didn’t listen to me or any of my other agents, including your daughter, Ana. He compromised both my mission and the efficiency of this detective. I am prepared to take full responsibility for what happened.” He turned back to Jack. “Anything smart to add?”

            Jack silently shook his head. His eyes were wide and shocked, a look that Gabriel had to admit he missed.

            “There’s no responsibility to be taken, Gabriel,” Reinhardt said, also looking a little surprised. “No one was hurt. The detective in question was struggling during the whole ordeal but he took a few days off and now he is doing fine. Nothing has been lost or damaged.”

            “That’s…that’s really good. And really shocking, to tell you the truth.”

            Jack snorted. “Shocking is an understatement.”

            “Do you have anything to add, Captain Morrison?” Ana turned her sharp gaze on Jack.

            “I think he summed it up pretty well,” Jack shrugged. “Hanzo got hyper-focused on Jesse because he was smart enough to see through his cover but we all did everything we could to hold him back from the truth. In reality, I lied to him too. I deserve some of the blame for the way he acted.”

            Ana and Reinhardt shared a look. Jack considered, briefly, taking Gabriel’s hand, but rejected the idea.

            “I have no reason to punish you, Jack!” Reinhardt boomed. “We really only wanted to know if there was an altercation between you two.”

            “If you are in agreement, then there really is no harm done,” Ana added. “We didn’t want you two to be fighting over this. All of us cooperating is how we maintain justice in this city.”

            Gabriel smiled. “I think we’re okay on that. You think so, Jack?” He was nonchalant about it, but the question made his palms sweat.

            “Yeah, I do. We’re all good here.” Gabriel let out a silent sigh.

            “Then I will see you all again the next time something ridiculous happens!” Reinhardt laughed. “You are all dismissed.”

            Ana followed the two out, saying, “I’m glad you managed to get through this,” then returned to Reinhardt’s office.

            “Wow.”

            “Yeah. I thought I was gonna get demoted for this whole mess. Instead I get to see a couple of old friends.”

            Gabe was silent for a few moments. “If we didn’t get along, do you really think the whole city would fall apart?”

            “Oh, absolutely.”

            They laughed a bit, then Gabriel slipped his hand into Jack’s. Jack started at the unfamiliar contact, but realized and curled his fingers around Gabriel’s hand.

            “I don’t like this.”

            “Nope.”

            “We shouldn’t have to be like this.”

            “I agree.”

            “Shit’s still not right, you know.”

            “Shit will never be right. We just gotta work our way around it.”

            “We both know nothing is ever that simple.”

            “Guess not. Lunch?”

            “You know it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ship is important to me and this dynamic is really painful. I just wanted them to admit what was going on and try to fight back rather than give up and decide they could never be together.


End file.
